The evolution of "TUNAPUNA" village to urban Town. 

The town of Tunapuna is located between St Augustine, and Tacarigua on the East/West Corridor in Trinidad. It is one of the largest towns between San Juan and Arima it is an important market and commercial center. 

Tunapuna is a transition town which has seen an evolution from a village to a city over hard economic times. With two of the main traffic arteries -the Eastern Main Road and the Priority Bus Route - traversing through the town, it changed from simple sub-urban space to an urban space/commercial town. Walking along the roads or driving in a maxi you will see the once predominantly residential town gradually changing to a commercial and a mixed residential center.

Being a transition town, Tunapuna is one of the more important towns of Northern Trinidad. The main road is full of businesses (commercial and services) with few residential buildings (houses and apartments). The buildings are a mixture of postmodern and late 1930 architectural styles and show the rich history of Tunapuna.

Tunapuna market

A minor road in Tunapuna , in the background Mount St Benedict

Tunapuna is a fast developing heterogeneous development of fringe belts and transition zones, urban center zones and general urban zones. The general urban zone is made of a mixture of residential homes, churches, recreation parks, midsize commercial businesses, schools and a hospital. The urban center zone of Tunapuna is dense and compact. As a result, there is little room for horizontal expansion, hence many of the buildings are multi-stories. Tunapuna’s eastern side is the commercial hub; there are hundreds of small shops selling wide variety of items, services companies (banks, insurance companies and barbershops), fast food restaurants (Roti shops, Burger King and KFC) which are strategically position outside the market house). Tunapuna’s urban center zone is found where most of the buildings are modern, frequent traffic congestion, busy sidewalks and stores and indicate where most of the money is spent.

Mixture of small variety stores

Recently constructed Burger king in Commercial Tunapuna

A family owned house and business.

Salvation Army church next to the Tunapuna market

Tunapuna’s future is clear: the change of the city’s economy over the decade is positive. This attitude of development may relieve stress from the capital Port of Spain and spread wealth. If this is true, then other small towns will likewise improve their statuses.